10-11-00 Eastern Echo

White men rule! (And I'd like to change that.)

I love an election year. It serves as a reminder to all citizens that we live in a great country, full of opportunity for people who happen to be white, male, and rich. The economic and ethnic diversity in our country is rivaled by no other; we are unique in our bountiful differences and our common goals. And yet, here we are, skimming for the crème of the crop (which, we all know, rises to the top), in search of a president. To rise, we must be men. To rise, we must be white. To rise, we must have mounds of cash to stand upon. Anything less would be un-American. Do I see my face anywhere in this election or the 52 that came before it? No. Do I see the faces of my common brothers and sisters, on whose back this country rests upon, in this or any previous election? Only if you happen to have an income larger than 99% of our population. Wealth=Power So if we aspire to the presidency our first goal is to become very, very rich. The fact our leaders are mostly comprised of the richest of our citizens is no aberration from the world norm; money translates to power in any language. Can an average person ever hope to lead? Perhaps in a small role. A country only turns to its ordinary citizens for leadership in times of great hardship, or when all else has failed. This has proven true in our lifetimes; Lech Walesa of Poland was a shipyard electrician who stepped forward and helped defeat Communism in his country, winning him the presidency as well as the Nobel Peace Prize. There is Vaclav Havel, the writer and dramatist of the Czech Republic (formerly Czechoslovakia) who stood against the oppressive Soviet-dominated, Communist government, to become president. And just recently, Vojislav Kostunica, a 56-year-old law professor, became leader of Yugoslavia after defeating butcher Slobodan Milosevic in last week's election, ending Milosevic's 12 year reign of terror. Only when a country is undergoing catastrophic change, civil war, or political upheaval, does it reach into its deep pockets for an ordinary citizen to lead. Although, you must also note that they are still white, and men. But at least they understand the plight of their common brothers and sisters, and work for the betterment of all. Can our candidates claim such a kinship with those they seek to lead? The last president who was drawn from the "common stock" of our country was Abraham Lincoln, a country lawyer from Illinois, who fought to resolve the problem of slavery that was tearing our country apart. Can the elite truly understand the lives of the ordinary people they seek to rule? They are not US. I watch the presidential debates and I'm struck by the irony of my current dilemma; chose from the two who know nothing of what it means to be American, who see through the rose-tinted lenses of affluence and power. Can they know what it's like to wake in the morning to a carbon copy of a thousand yesterdays? Arise-work-live-work-struggle-work-love-work-die. They cannot know. They may represent US, but they are not us. I must choose between these two, to somehow decide which will do the least harm, who might at least manage, if not distinguish himself, as the leader of our country. I am afraid. Very afraid. To appeal to, and govern, such a disparate group of people that inhabit our United States a candidate must exhibit a form of political schizophrenia, morphing himself into the citizen of the day-from factory worker to industrial tycoon. The candidates must have the ability to shift, focus, rewind, re-focus, and be "everyman." Perhaps it is the pull of powerful political currents that leads to the awful lurch of ideas and ideals, the scratching of various backs, the borrowing from Peter to pay Paul. Nothing gets done unless you know how to haggle. How to choose? I must choose because to NOT choose would be a cop-out. Even as I label myself a conscientious objector I know it is a coward's way out. I am no coward. I can be conscientious, and I can object, but I must also try to decipher the inner workings of these two men and decide which I think will be able to endure the pull of power to maintain a steady course for our country. This race is close, I believe, because many people share my fears. One candidate does not stand well above the other in policies or manners. We can see they meet the requirements of the presidency: both are well connected, well educated, abundantly moneyed and unmistakably flawed. Each wears the rose-tinted glasses. Can they see me? Will they judiciously perceive my wishes, my needs, to work on my behalf? I'm afraid they won't. I'm afraid that the siren song of lobbyists, powerful industry, and religious groups will lead them astray, turn them to a path that veers mightily from the one I must walk. Will they notice when they leave me behind? Not likely. I love an election year. It is a reminder that I live in the greatest country in the world---the greatest, but not perfect.